A reminder to women from this man's perspective.

I am not your last boyfriend
Nor the husband that beat you,
even though I'm a Cancerian and drive a white car
just like he did.

Nor am I the husband who would demand you dress for him
in the way he chose, and dance on tables for his friends,
leaving you feeling humiliated and objectified.
Neither am I the guy who walked out on you leaving
the child he demanded of you even though
you were reluctant to be a mum at 21.

I am not the man with the thick glasses who raped
you one hot summer day when the grass smelt so good
and the sky was filled with fluffy clouds, so that now the sun on
your skin reminds you of that day. I'm so sorry that happened to you,
but it was not me.

I'm not the man who forced you to have anal sex
when you weren't ready, and thought it
was dirty and wrong.

It is not me
that caused your fear all those years ago.

I'm not the man who followed you home
I'm not the man who stalked you
I'm not the man who would leave weird messages on your
answering machine, so that you had to get the number changed.

Neither am I the father whose scornful looks
and absence made you resent mankind, and feel empty inside.
It wasn't me who touched you where
no grown man should touch a child, ever.

I'm not the boy who used you for sex one
saturday night in 1982, although my name is John, too.
It wasn't me who laughed with his friends
at your breasts, and who told the other boys
what an easy lay you were.
Neither am I the boy who called you a slut because
you chose to sleep with someone else.

I'm not the four teenagers who gang raped you
I'm not the uncle who taught you to swim,
but who would mysteriously let his
hand creep up your legs and touch your bottom.
I'm not the brother who would kick you
and tell you that you were fat.

I'm not the teacher in 7th grade who would keep you in detention
because he wanted to jack off as he watched you,
even though I may look somewhat like him.

I'm someone else, and you don't know me yet.

I'm not "men".

I am me.

So remember that, please, before you insist
I pay for all their crimes.